Game Report

The IceCaps didn’t have long to celebrate Charlie Lindgren’s first pro shutout in Utica on Friday night, as they boarded a bus and headed straight to Rochester to take on the Americans on Saturday night.

Both teams seemed to spend the bulk of the first period feeling each other out in a lackluster back-and-forth style. There were no penalties in the opening frame, and the lone goal wasn’t scored until the last 30 seconds of the period. Captain Max Friberg fired a smooth wrister from the point which sailed past Linus Ullmark to put his team on the board first. Stefan Matteau had the sole assist on the goal in his first game after missing two due to illness.

The second period was mostly all Rochester, as they outshot the IceCaps 11-4. The Americans also scored two goals, both blocker side on Yann Danis. Matteau drew a penalty at the end of the period when Erik Burgdoerfer tried to entice him into fighting. Burgdoerfer would get a two-minute roughing penalty for his efforts, but Jonathan Racine negated the would-be power play for the IceCaps when he jumped into Burgdoerfer from behind and was given four minutes for roughing.

St. John’s killed off that penalty to kick off the third period, however. The IceCaps managed to control the puck more in this period, outshooting the Americans 10-9. Yannick Veilleux got the equalizer for his team, assisted by Brett Lernout and David Broll, which would eventually force the game into overtime.

The three-on-three overtime period was not long-lived. The IceCaps couldn’t muster a single shot on goal and were playing a very passive style of hockey. Justin Bailey quickly skated the puck into the zone and deked around Danis to give his team the win.

The IceCaps now head to Montreal for a few days of practice before breaking for the holiday. They’ll return to play next on Boxing Day in Toronto against their rival, the Marlies.